Nozawa Onsen Snow Report, 10 January 2014

Around 50cm has fallen in Nozawa Onsen overnight! On top of the 30+ cm we got yesterday this is looking like a “Marvellous Meter” dump. The weather is generally sunny with occasional mist and clouds up the top. The snow should continue on and off for the next week at least, so look forward to some great Nozawa Onsen powder days. Here is some footage from one of the Nozawa Holidays guests yesterday. As you can see even the groomers are powder runs. You might have to hire some powder skis!

Nozawa Snow Report 3 January 2014

Not much to report here today and apologies for the late report with our regular Nozawa Snow Reporter otherwise indisposed. There is still a good base of over 2 metres up top on Yamabiko with some stashes to be found amongst the trees. However a lot of it had been tracked out by later today. One visitor commented today that “… a bit more base would open things up a lot more, particularly down the bottom.”

Nozawa Onsen open. Nozawa season starts tomorrow.

First Nozawa Snow Report of the season

Is Nozawa Onsen open? Yes, and welcome to season 2013/14 in Nozawa Onsen and the first Nozawa Snow Report of the season. Things kick off tomorrow morning at 8.40am with a limited number of lifts operating – Nagasaka Gondola, Yamabiko Four Lift and Yamabiko Number 2 Four lift. The courses that will be open are Yamabiko A,C,D & E (see below). Because of the light snow cover there are special early season lift tickets being offered until 20 December. Adults are 3,000 yen, Children 1,500 yen and Seniors are 2,000 yen

There was a big dump a couple of weeks ago but not much since. Some snow has come in tonight (what great timing!) and hopefully that will provide a little extra covering up on the upper courses for the opening weekend.

Our correspondent & photographer for this year, Shaun, flies into Nozawa in a couple of weeks so expect some serious reporting and great photographs from the middle of December. A big thanks to the Nozawa Holidays crew for their assistance with the Nozawa Snow Reports. Make sure to check them out for a great range of Nozawa accommodation and hospitality!

The Nozawa Onsen Snow Report

The Nozawa Onsen Snow report for December 16, 2012. It ended up being quite windy up on the top courses yesterday which delayed opening some of the lifts. Today the weather is a bit miserable with patches of wet snow and rain as well as fog/cloud. The resort is hoping for a bit of top up snow early this week.

As can be seen by the snow depths below it is a little patchy on the lower slopes. However if you come off Paradise slopes onto Rinkan you can make it to the bottom of the slopes comfortably. You can check out weather and snow conditions via our Nozawa Onsen webcams.

The weather in Nozawa Onsen is unreal – almost like February at times. Hardly anyone on the mountain this morning. Almost feels like a private ski resort at times. Still great snow conditions on and off the slopes. If you know the right spots you can even still find nice powder runs. After a few snowy days and a blue sky yesterday the temperatures are on the rise a bit today. But still good fun to carve down Skyline towards the village and get a few turns in at the slushy bottom part.

Fantastic day yesterday. Fresh powder and blue sky is a mix which is hard to beat. A lot of people did not want to miss out and made their way up to Nozawa to enjoy skiing once more this season. Temperatures stayed fairly cold up top and guaranteed good snow condition all day long. Got a bit slushy at the bottom in the afternoon. But all in all could not ask for a better day.

The forecast shows a blue sky tomorrow and some rain for Wednesday. Should not affect us too much, there is still plenty of snow on the mountain. Nozawa are keeping a really big area of the resort open, in fact most of the main runs really and you can still ski from top to bottom.

Apart from that we’ve decided to close the Nozawa Onsen Snow Report out today. Not that, as you can see above, that’s any reflection of the snow quality in Nozawa. It’s been an awesome season but the weather is only getting warmer from here by the looks of it and the skiers much less.

We’ll be updating occasionally over the off season with videos and pics from this season so if you have one you’d like to contribute please do so on our Facebook page. Otherwise see you all next season in Nozawa Onsen!

About another 10cm of the fresh stuff up high overnight after several days of regular falls. Winter temperatures have also returned (around -6) but starts warming up again tomorrow. Get that last burst of spring skiing in soon!

The current official snow depths in Nozawa Onsen are as follows:
Yamabiko: 380cm
Uenotaira: 340cm
Nagasaka: 180cm

It looked not very promising in Nozawa Onsen yesterday morning but the rain did not last very long before it turned into snow up top just before lunch time. By mid afternoon it was snowing heavy up at Yamabiko and even down in the village big snow flakes were falling from the sky. Fresh tracks all afternoon made up for a wet start in the day.

Great conditions today. The sun comes out every now and then with 20 cm fresh powder snow to enjoy on top. Good to see that the temperatures dropped into the minus again. Plenty of action on the mountain today with a halfpipe competition taking place up at Uenotaira. Great opportunity to look at some tricks from the Pros.

Forecast looks good. We are in for a nice blue sky tomorrow before another cold front rolls in. Temperatures are on the rise on Tuesday but not for long. Heavy snow on the radar Tuesday night.

This guy might get his car back soon…

Please note:

From tomorrow a number of lifts and lower courses will be closed for the season – yes, even with all the snow! – but upper slopes will be going strong until May 6th (and there’s always the chance they might move that to later with all the snow). So today is the last of the “whole mountain open” days this season. Still loads of riding to do though.

After a nice dump earlier this week there’s been a couple of quite warm days in Nozawa with no snow to speak of. But as the end game looms here for the season there’s more snow forecast. Today temperatures are in the plus and climbed up to 3 degrees on the mountain this morning. Probably best to head up early, get a few runs in and take it easy in the afternoon. There are many great restaurants on the mountain where you can enjoy your lunch outside in the sun. There is a still a very good base and the snow varies between corn, groomed and a bit slushy. It will be still good fun to ride and it looks like the sun is just breaking through the clouds right now.

Great conditions yesterday. In the morning there were plenty of fresh powder lines on offer. Got a bit slushy in the afternoon, but over all a fantastic day. Not a single cloud in the sky all day long and again a stunning sunset in the evening.

As we said after the warm spring conditions from today it looks like temperatures will drop overnight and snow will start coming in tomorrow morning. Heavy snow on the forecast Saturday afternoon. Have a great weekend in Nozawa Onsen.

It just doesn’t let up with more fresh snow once again in Nozawa. After the warm spring temperatures yesterday afternoon it’s a bit hard to believe. It was bucketing here this morning and Nozawa Onsen village got more than five centimetres of fresh snow in under one hour. Looking out the window right now it is still snowing lightly, so it will be another good powder day up top.

It was a day like in a picture book here in Nozawa Onsen yesterday with a gorgeous blue sky all day long, good snow conditions up top and people actually sunbathing down in the village! The best thing about all this late season snow? The slopes are all yours with very few skiers on the mountain. A wonderful sunset was the perfect end to this fantastic day.

Today it will keep on snowing through out the day before we are back to a clear, cloudless sky tomorrow. Heavy snow on the forecast this weekend. The winter continues here in Nozawa Onsen.

The perfect setting. Looking at the Nozawa House from the free Shinju Pair Lift.

It looks like that we can not put our snow shovels away just yet here in Nozawa. What a suprise with over 20cm of fresh snow overnight. It was heavy snowing all morning and even down in the village big snow flakes were falling from the sky.

Great conditions on and off the piste. Knee deep powder up top at Yamabiko and perfect conditions on the slopes with the sun out from just before lunch.

Yesterday was a bit of a mix. Visibility up top was limited but the slushy bottom runs were still good fun to ride. In the afternoon the sun came through before the snow front was rolling in.

The forecast looks pretty good for the next few days as well. Blue sky tomorrow, before we get some more snow moving in on Wednesday.

Late note! Unfortunately the Nozawa Guy has gone and broken his leg so that leaves the Nozawa Onsen Snow Report temporarily without a correspondent from the field. Hence reports will be winding down now between here and the end of the season. Don’t let a lack of reports stop you from coming. The snow and conditions are still tip top here!